Reinventing the Wheel

Introducing the Mini-Segway

4000 BC: Invention of the wheel.1866: Invention of the unicycle.2001: Invention of the Segway.

And now, in 2011: Invention of the Segway unicycle.

Introducing the Solowheel, a new electric Segway-style unicycle, available for preorder now.

Every once in a great while, something comes along and forever changes the face of transportation. This
probably won’t do that. (Come to think of it, neither did the Segway.) This is, however, an intriguing
little device—the size of a thick, boxy frisbee, it weighs in around 20 pounds. To ride it, pull out the
footholds and hop on board. The gyroscope will keep you upright while you lean your body left and right to
steer.

It’s not hard to see when you would use this. A polo league. An Evel Knievel–style leap over an
unusually small canyon. Or say you’re at a dinner party. Once again, you’re opining on the tragic
decline in the quality of Super Bowl halftime shows. And for some reason, those opinions are being met with
something less than enthusiasm by your hosts, the .i.am family. So you’ll politely excuse yourself, pull
this thing out of your bag and make a quick getaway.

Just one thing: you’ll have to wait until April, when the inventor has tentatively promised to start
shipping units.